Let’s read those verses.  Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”  These evils are descriptive of “the naughty person, a wicked man” that verse 12 speaks of.

The language of these verses may seem odd, “six things…yea seven.”  Solomon, uses this to stress that while there are six things the Lord hates and finds abominable, the seventh one is especially so.  Similar language is used in Proverbs 30:15, “The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough.”  So, all seven things in our verses are terrible in His sight, but the last is especially heinous to Him.  Let’s consider each one briefly.

  • A PROUD LOOK. This speaks of people who are haughty and look down on others as if they are better.  James 4:6, “…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
  • A LYING TONGUE. Lying is one thing that the Lord Himself cannot do and He detests lying in us.  Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”
  • HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD. The Lord values each life, and those who would hurt or kill an innocent one will not go unpunished.  Isaiah 1:15, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
  • A HEART THAT IS FULL OF WICKED THOUGHTS. This gives the thought of one who thinks of how he can hurt others.  Zechariah 8:17, “And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.”
  • FEET THAT ARE SWIFT TO RUN TO MISCHIEF. It’s not just the heart that conceives evil that the Lord hates.  He also hates the feet of those who carry out that evil as we read in Proverbs 1:16, “For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.”
  • A FALSE WITNESS THAT SPEAKETH LIES. Different from a ‘lying tongue’, this speaks of one who constantly gives a false witness against his neighbor.  This is perjury.  Proverbs 14:5, “A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.”
  • HE THAT SOWS DISCORD AMONG THE BRETHREN. Of all these atrocious sins, this is what the Lord particularly hates.  One thing we should notice is that this sin is against ‘the brethren.’  This refers to one who causes brothers and sister in Christ to be at war with one another.  This is totally contrary to the will of God concerning His people.  As the Lord Jesus prays to His Father in John 17:21, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”  1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Are you a troublemaker among your fellow Christians?  Do you love to share hurtful gossip?  Do you look for occasions to put distance between fellow believers?  If so, you need to consider how much the Lord hates this action, repent of your deeds and confess your sin to the Lord.  AND STOP DOING IT.  (222.8)